Book Review – Queer Eye: Love Yourself, Love Your Life by the Fab Five

Queer Eye: Love Yourself, Love Your Life by Antoni Porowski, Bobby Berk, Jonathan Van Ness, Karamo Brown, and Tan FrancePublished: 2018Genre: Nonfiction, Self-HelpFormat: HardcoverPages: 256Source: LibraryDates Read: December 17, 2018 – January 3, 2019Grade: A-Synopsis: Feeling your best is about far more than deciding what color to paint your accent wall or how to apply nightly moisturizer. It’s also about creating a life that’s well-rounded, filled with humor and understanding—and most importantly, that suits you. At a cultural moment when we are all craving people to admire, Queer Eye offers hope and acceptance. After you get to know the Fab Five, together they will guide you through five practical chapters that go beyond their designated areas of expertise (food & wine, fashion, grooming, home decor, and culture), touching on topics like wellness, entertaining, and defining your personal brand, and complete with bite-sized Hip Tips for your everyday quandaries. Above all else, Queer Eye aims to help you create a happy and healthy life, rooted in self-love and authenticity.

REVIEW

I knew before this book was even published that I’d love it. How could I not? I sometimes wonder, if I could spend a day with just one member of the Fab Five to help me with something, which one would I pick? I couldn’t definitively answer that until I read this book. I still can’t, really, but I can narrow it down to two based on which sections I was most interested in — and they were definitely Jonathan’s beauty and self-care section and Tan’s style guide. It’s kind of funny because I thought it might be Karamo’s, but since I do a lot of (read: probably too much) thinking, much of his didn’t feel new to me. Bobby’s and Antoni’s were interesting, but since I still live at home and don’t cook much, there wasn’t as much for me there — although there’s certainly some stuff I can save for later. But when I think about it, I have been more conscious about how I present myself, so it really does make sense.

Favorite Quotes:

“One thing I have realized lately, especially in doing interviews and press, is that it is literally impossible to make everybody happy. You can’t do it. No matter how hard you try, you’re always going to be too good not good enough in somebody’s eyes. You have to accept that and just focus on the next step” (Antoni, 64).

“I just have learned that you can’t control everything in your life. It really comes down to faith. Just have faith in whatever you do — and whatever you cook” (Antoni, 64).

“But we all use excuses to avoid the truth” (Karamo, 69).

“At some point you have to believe that a dream job is yours — otherwise, you won’t even go after it. Even though they were looking for a white guy, I said to myself, ‘I’m going to show up. This is my job'” (Tan, 72).

“But, really, it’s about how excited you are for yourself. Sometimes, at the end of the day, it’s just you looking in the mirror and saying, ‘Good for you! You did it!'” (Karamo, 77).

“You know what? I don’t think anything is really ever cut and dry. It’s always a process. Everything in life is a process. Listen to yourself breathe. It’s a very grounding, calming experience” (Jonathan, 99).

“I believe that Mother Nature doesn’t usually get it too wrong, so don’t battle what she gave you. Instead, just go with the flow” (Jonathan, 107).

“It’s not about what other people will think. And it’s not about someone else’s expectations of you. Go after what you want in life because that success will make you happy at the end of the day” (Karamo, 162).